The Legacy of a Hunter
by vorde1
Summary: Kio wants to become great like his father, the village hero. But after failing a Bulldrome quest multiple times, the village chief hires Cultise  "the worst hunter ever" as a teacher. This is a translation of the most popular MH novel in Japan. MH 2nd G
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: Monster Hunter is copyright Capcom. "The Legacy of a Hunter" is copyright Keichi Hikami._

"Hmm. You look better, now."

The village chief stood before the entrance of the only public bar in Cocotte village. Obviously not human, the wyvernian leaned against a gnarled staff and raised his deep-set eyes, which were usually buried beneath wrinkles, to peer at Kio. "So you managed to defeat the pack of Velociprey."

"Yeah." Rubbing his nose, Kio held out the claw of a Velcoprey as proof of the mission's completion. The chief took it with thin fingers then examined it - turning it back and forth.

"It ain't fake you know."

"It's not that I distrust you. It's just an old habit."

"From when you were a hunter, right?" Kio laughed. From what Kio heard, he had once been a hunter, but it couldn't be true. In some ridiculous rumors it was said that he was the hero Cocotte who slew the Monoblos single- handed but no one believed it.

A merchant suited his demeanor more than a hunter. Surprisingly, he had the nerve to name the village after himself and even displayed his hero's blade, which he was supposed to have used, in the village square.

Because of these rumors, the village was thriving even in it's remote location. Most of the people who came were hunters, like his parents, so the atmosphere was far from calm. Fights were a daily thing and the smell of alcohol and tobacco always hung in the air from the people who gathered at the bar during the day.

But Kio didn't mind the sordid air. It wasn't that he had taken the place of his father, who went out on a quest and never returned, but he had become a hunter the day he turned fifteen.

Until then people had mocked him saying "What can a kid like you do?" "You're gonna shame all the other hunters!" "You'll die at such a young age." However, he had been doing well up till now. In truth, his last mission had been pretty close, but it wasn't such a big deal now that he had won.

"So what's next?"

"No need to hurry." The village chief grinned after putting the claw away and tapped Kio with his finger. "Kio, you hungry?"

"Well, yeah."

"Ok. Good, good." He turned around and walked into the bar so Kio sighed and followed him. The low-lit bar was cloudy with smoke and the ceiling blackened from soot. The smell of tobacco, beer, and sweat mixed together to make a unique odor, but no one cared about it.

Kio had gotten used to the stench. Besides, he didn't smell all that nice himself at the moment. When the hunters noticed the village chief, they nodded or greeted him and went back to their meal and drink. They saw Kio too, but they didn't pay him any heed.

Kio looked away in chagrin. It couldn't be helped. His achievements still marked him a rookie. He couldn't wait to take on one of the large monsters.

"Let's sit here." The village chief chose an open table and sat down. Kio sat opposite him. A middle-aged waitress appeared to take their orders and the village chief got their usual: two Aptonoth steak sandwiches, beer for himself and milk for Kio.

Soon two tankards filled with beer and milk were brought and dropped on the table, spilling a good portion of the drinks.

"Hey! Watch it!" The village chief leaned over and slurped at the spilt beer.

"Haven't you heard, 'don't cry over spilt milk?' "

The village chief ignored him and kept lapping like a dog. It was things like these that made Kio sure all the more that the rumors weren't true. He acted more like an old man with no more ambitions in life and content to enjoy the rest of his life in peace.

"Mmm, delicious."

"Is that so?" Kio frowned and put his elbows on the table. Try as he might, he couldn't learn to like beer. He didn't understand why adults liked the taste; personally, it tasted like pee to him. _"I don't care if they make fun of me, but if it tastes bad, it tastes bad!"_

"Here you are." Two Aptonoth sandwiches were placed before them. Kio already started to feel full from looking at it. The thick Aptonoth steak was fried and covered in special sauce with fresh vegetables and sandwiched between a sort-of-rye bread. It was so big you couldn't take a bite out of it normally. There was a knack to eating it, and it had taken some time for Kio to get it – but there was nothing that tasted better.

He decided to discuss what was on his mind later and focus on eating for now, taking a bite out of the sandwich. The village chief was eating with such ravenous speed, it made Kio wonder how he kept from having a heart attack.

"Hey, old man." Halfway through the sandwich, Kio asked the village chief, "Don't you think I'm ready?"

"For what?" said the village chief, licking the sticky sauce that covered his mouth. _Of course you know,_ Kio thought, _I've only been asking for months! _

"You know, the large monsters!"

Laughter erupted all around them. Some people banged their tables as others rolled on the floor. Several guys shouted at him, "Who do you think you are, brat?" "This is no place for you to be, kid."

Shirai looked up and glared at the people. _Too young? Brat? So what! I've made it so far without a problem. You guys have no right to make fun of me!_

"Oh, well." The village chief licked his fingers and scratched his face. "You want to go to the city that bad?"

"Sure!" Kio gripped his mug. "Of course I want to go to the city! If I go I can join the guild. There are many monsters you can't hunt unless you're a guild approved hunter. I don't want to spend the rest of my life in this dump!"

"Young, so very young…" The village chief smiled. "But that doesn't matter. The outside world is very attractive while you're young. And you have completed all the quests I've given you. Definitely not a Yian Kut-Ku, but you might be able to take on the Bulldrome."

"Then..."

"Not so fast." The village chief held up his hand to Kio who was leaning over the table. He curled his hand and pointed at Kio. "Do you intend to go in that junk?"

Kio looked down at himself. He was wearing Chain armor. The two short swords on the chair beside him were the Gradios Ultimus, a type of dual-sword. "What's wrong?

"Your armor's too weak," the village chief sighed. "You'll be shredded to pieces if you go in that. You're weapon is fine, but at the very least upgrade your armor to the Battle or Bone armor."

"I don't have enough materials." Kio leaned back on his chair. "Don't they both need several Anteka Pelts and Earth Crystals? I only have one of each and I don't have enough money to make it anyway."

"That's because you're lazy. You don't take the time to gather the materials. And the reason you don't have any money is because you're buying things from merchants instead of compounding and mixing them yourself. The Healing Potions you need can be made by mixing herbs and blue mushrooms. Both can be found out in the wild relatively easily."

"Ha! I don't have time to do everything bit by bit. And there's only so much I can carry in my bag. Instead of filling it with mushrooms, it's much better to fill it with things like Velociprey claws and scales."

"You're hopeless." The village chief shook his head in frustration. But Kio wasn't going to change his opinion. _Old people are too wimpy_, he thought.

"Well? Will you let me do it?" Kio leaned over and looked into the village chief's eyes. Then...

"Let him do it, chief!" One of the hunters shouted out over the din. "You're being a bit overprotective! Even if he's a rookie, he is a hunter after all! Why not let him have a chance!"

"Thanks!" Kio called out to the man, but he really didn't mean it. He knew it wasn't because the guy believed he could do it, nor because the guy was thinking of him.

Rather, it was quite the opposite. The guy was probably thinking that if Kio failed he'd be a bit more humble and learn some respect for the other hunters. Other people around them shouted their approval, but he knew most of them just wanted him to fail.

But Kio didn't mind. Whatever the circumstances, as long as he could challenge one of the bigger monsters, he'd be able to prove that he was good enough.

"Humph! You guy's don't know what you're asking for…" The village chief sighed one more time, then turned and beckoned to Miranda, the Guild representative who stood behind the counter. She was the attendant who was in charge of the quests, missions and requests that were sent to the village.

"Wasn't there one mission?"

"Yes." She leafed through papers and documents, then pulled out one and handed it to the village chief. He quickly scanned it, nodded and placed it in front of Shirai.

"A Bulldrome slaying quest. It's not far from here, so it should be mainly in the jungle. I'll entrust this mission to you."

Kio felt his heart leap. _Finally! How many months have I waited for this!_ He reached for the paper, and signed his name on it.

* * *

><p>Thank you for reading! I am a novice writertranslator going to a school in Japan. This is my first story so I would be very happy if you would review and point out any mistakes I have made.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

_Disclaimer: Monster Hunter is copyright Capcom. "The Legacy of a Hunter" is copyright Keiichi Hikami._

Miranda placed a wooden cup down on the table. A young boy covered in bandages from head to toe sat sulking in front of her.

"Come on, drink up before it gets warm." But the boy , Kio, ignored the drink and looked away. He wasn't very tall – not much taller than her in fact. His hair was dark brown. The way it curled made her a bit envious. He was about fifteen years old and his face was still childish, making him look cute. The armor he wore was chain armor, a cheap and common armor for beginners.

But the most distinctive thing about him were the dual swords he carried. The Gradios Ultimus were rare weapons and she had never seen them before until Kio came. She wondered how he had gotten them, for there was no way he could have obtained them at his current ability.

Cocotte village's bar was open at all times. Since it was where the hunters did business, it was natural that people would gather and there was never a time when it was empty. They also served food so many villagers stopped by for a break during the day.

Today was another disgustingly serene day. In Cocotte village, the sun always shone, making it summer-like all year-long. Temperatures rose at surprising speeds regardless of the weather and she was afraid the cold water in the cup would soon become lukewarm, the air being so heavy from the heat.

"Hey, don't be so depressed." But when she said that, it seemed to have the opposite effect on him for his head dropped all the more and he slowly reached for the mug, downing it in one drought.

"Arghh! Why can't I beat it?" Kio suddenly shouted out, unable to contain himself anymore.

"Four straight losses, was it?" As Miranda smiled grimly, Kio suddenly beat his head on the table.

"Something ain't right! I mean, Bullfangos are supposed to paw the ground before they charge! That's when you dodge and can attack their unguarded back. Why does that particular Bulldrome charge so many times in a row? It's just an overgrown boar and yet it follows every move I make! Arghh!"

As he shouted, he gestured with big movements, as if he were fighting an imaginary Bulldrome.

Actually it was her fourth time watching him act out his fight. He hadn't listened to the village chief's advice and came back defeated each time. She thought he'd slow down, but the next day, even before his wounds healed, he ran off to the forest again. This had been going on for four days in a row now. The only good thing was his determination and perseverance. He wasn't discouraged easily.

"You don't have to be so stubborn. Why don't you hunt something different for a change?"

"No, a man shouldn't go back on his word. I will kill that Bulldrome."

The rules were that a hunter could not return unless he completed or gave up the mission. That's why most hunters plan and carefully prepare before leaving on missions. But no matter how carefully prepared, the unexpected happens. She heard it was common that hunters would go on a hunt only to find that there was more than one monster or that they had brought the wrong tool.

In those times when a hunter couldn't complete their main mission, they brought back useful resources like ores and herbs or thinned out the population of smaller monsters - anything that would be useful for the village. They wouldn't get the full reward but they did get their bond money back and a little extra.

Fighting against big monsters on a first encounter lowers the chance of success. It would be much better for both the village and the hunters if they first spent their time taking easier missions and researching and planning well before they took on a large monster. Actually, most hunters did just that, but for some reason Kio seemed intent only on killing a Bulldrome and each loss made him all the more determined, regardless of the scorn of his fellow hunters.

"I want to become a great hunter like my father!"

"Your father?"

"Yeah! My father was one of the greatest hunters who ever lived! When I was little we lived in a small village not far from here where he was the only hunter. With dual swords he was invincible, charging into packs of monsters and demolishing them. And he never used traps or tools and fought with only his strength and skill!"

It was pretty unbelievable that someone like that existed. Oh, she had heard of hunters like that who could kill Wyverns single–handed in legends and rumors, but she was sure that they were not real. The village chief was a good example.

Wyverns or Flying Wyverns were just what their names describe. Dragon–like monsters that can fly. But they weren't just any monster. They were the ultimate predators at the top of the food chain. They were remarkably hard to kill, even with all the traps, plans, and manpower human's had. Some hunters hunted the Wyverns for rare materials and others, unfortunately, for the thrill, but most people simply ran away as fast as they could. The Wyverns were the unquestioned conquerors of the world.

To be honest though, she had never seen one. Whether or not Kio's stories were true or not, it seemed to be his father's influence that made Kio act the way he did.

"So did he teach you how to use those swords?"

"Nah, he died when I was little so I learned to use them myself. These swords are my only inheritance. But I swear that someday I will become as great as him."

_Ah, now I understand._ It was hard to believe that such a hunter existed or that Kio would ever become like him, but she could tell how much Kio respected him.

"Oh, well. I'm cheering for you."

"I don't need your help."

He looked cute when he was trying to sound tough, especially when his face reddened with embarrassment. His recklessness was a problem, but seeing him and hearing his story made her want to cheer for him a little longer.

Even though she was sure he'd keep failing for a while.

* * *

><p>Thank you for reading!<p>

Whew! This chapter was hard to translate. I know it sounds strange in some parts so please forgive me. There were a lot of expressions unique to the Japanese language and it took some time to figure out how to change them into English.

The best thing about translating is that you get to share great stories with other people. The greatest drawback though is that you can't change the story in any way even if you know "This would make the story better!" Oh, well.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

_Disclaimer: Monster Hunter is copyright Capcom. "The Legacy of a Hunter" is copyright Keiichi Hikami._

Three weeks had passed since Kio had gone on his first Bulldrome mission.

Now he was walking through the village with a basket full of different goods on his back. Ever since entering the village, he had tried to avoid as many people as he could.

"What's wrong with you? asked the chief, walking behind Kio. "If you want to run off and see a few friends, I can take it from here. I don't mind." With a second look, he asked, "You do have some friends, don't you?"

"No thanks. I decided that I wouldn't see anyone until I succeed as a hunter. The only reason I'm doing this job is because you asked me."

"Ha, ha, ha. I see. So that's why you've been sneaking around hiding from people. Actually I think people notice more if you act like that."

The chief and Kio were carrying the baskets of goods because every few weeks a trader would come by to trade for the village's goods. They had just finished trading with one. Mushrooms had become popular in the major cities and since Cocotte was famous for them, many traders now stopped by to trade for them. The village was flourishing from the business.

Kio had been hired by the chief to help him with the trading. But in reality, the only thing he had done was to carry the goods out from and back into the village..

The common practice was if a hunter failed to complete a mission, their bond money would be forfeit.. Kio had failed the same Bulldrome quest ten times in a row, leaving him with no money. He could barely live, let alone pay the bond money for another try. The only reason he wasn't starving was because the villagers had been kind enough to feed him, bringing him food and inviting him to meals. They seemed to be sympathetic toward his failures, but in reality it made Kio feel bad.

"We're all most there. I'll buy you a sandwich after we're finished." said the chief. He had helped out a lot too, which surprised Kio, but that only made him feel worse.

In spite of his bad feelings, his body announced its happiness as his stomach released an embarrassing growl.

It was just about lunch time and the bar was full.. Various kinds of workers, traders, merchants and hunters crowded the bar.

"So, what are you going to do now? If you keep going at this pace you'll really get injured. Of course it would be great if you could kill a large monster single-handedly but there are other tasks just as important. Now's the time to slow down and experience many things," observed the chief as they slid into seats at the bar.

To tell the truth it had been uncomfortable for the past few weeks without any results. But–

"But traps are for cowards. A real hunter doesn't use traps."

Kio didn't understand why the village chief sighed and looked away.

Kio's father, Arzen was the only hunter in a small village and he was trusted by everyone. As far as Kio remembered, his father had never failed a quest. He'd head out to the wild and always return successful, while acting like it was no big deal.

I want to - No, have to become like him. That was all Kio ever thought about.

Someone sitting behind Kio burst out laughing at his words. He turned to confront the rude idiot.

"You got a problem with what I said?" Kio tried to look intimidating but the guy didn't notice at all. He looked rather slender and seemed to be in his late twenties or early thirties. His gaze was cold and fearless and long black hair was tied behind him in a pony–tail.

There weren't many hunters in the bar this time of day but apparently he was a hunter too. He wore something similar to Yian Garuga armor, though it was a different design compared to what Kio had seen before. The hunter wasn't wearing a helm and some parts of his armor were colored white.

Kio had always heard when a hunter accomplished certain feats the guild gives permission to use their own symbol color. If that was what it seemed to be, it meant he was a really good hunter.

But after observing all of this Kio decided he didn't like him; he seemed arrogant and cocky.

"Sorry kid. Hey, chief.! I don't mean to be rude, but I suggest you give up on this one. He'd be only be a waste of your time."

Kio started a hot retort when he noticed the chief's face. For the first time in his life, he saw the chief was dumbstruck and shock registered on his face.

Kio bit back his hot words and instead demanded, "Who are you?"

The man smiled and pulled out something from the seat next to him. It was a bowgun folded in half. And not just any bowgun but the heavy type which had more fire power and considered much harder to handle. It was customized with several unique parts; the weapon of a professional.

"I'm sure someone here has heard of the name 'Cultise' before."

"Well I've never heard of you." Kio sneered, but the chief snapped out his shock and spoke up.

"Yeah, it's 'one-armed Cultise,' isn't it?"

The man seemed surprised at the chief's words and gave the chief a closer look. One–armed? Kio glanced at his arms but both of them were there.

"What's that supposed to m–"

"Now how'd you hear that name?" The man cut Kio off.

"I've been to Dondurma a few times."

The Cultise-guy and the chief smiled knowingly at each other. Kio knew he was missing something, but he couldn't figure it out what, so he kept looking back and forth between the two men.

"Anyway, I don't mean to butt in your business but you'd better not waste time and energy on him. You'll save lives that way."

People's lives? When Kio tilted his head in thought, Cultise nodded at him.

"M, me? Are your saying I'm gonna die?"

"Hmm. Maybe as early as this winter. Bulldromes get quite aggravated and aggressive then. A rookie like you won't stand a chance. You'll be dead before you know it."

"Why you–!"

"Don't get upset, kid. I'm saying this out of kindness. Won't use traps? That's fine if you can take on the big monsters single–handed, but in reality everyone uses it because they can't."

"That's because everyone else is weak!"

"Whew, you've got it bad!" Cultise shrugged his shoulders. "Listening to what you've said tells me you've got little or no experience. Nor knowledge. Nor skill. And if I might add, very inflexible thinking. All of those are just as important as any weapon or armor to a hunter. I suggest you go back to your teacher and re-learn"

"I'm gonna kill you!"

The village chief was laughing merrily as he held back Kio who was trying to attack Cultise. "Welcome back, Cultise."

Kio stopped flailing around. "You know him?" He asked clearly surprised.

"Yes he is an old friend of mine. Why don't you go eat over there for a while so we can get caught up?" The village chief lightly pushed Kio away. Kio wasn't satisfied but he obeyed and sat down at a table hoping to catch parts of the conversation.

The village chief and Cultise sat across from each other, neither of them willing to break the silence. A maid brought two beers and placed them on the table. Cultise sighed and reached for his mug.

"So how are you doing you old geezer? You've changed a bit since I last saw you. You're "the chief" here now, right?"

"Ah, stop it. You never called me that anyway. Faial is fine. And you've changed too. I thought you didn't like long hair. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw you here."

"Well I finally finished Master Arzen's request and I needed to come by to report back to him.

"Hmm. I see. So how was your trip?"

"It was very, very long –10 years long! I started at Dondurma, then went to Minagarde, then Pokke and so on. But that's not why I'm here. Where's Arzen?"

The village chief's face darkened. "I wish I wasn't the one to have to tell you, but you have the right to know. He died several years ago."

"Ah." Cultise felt like he had been hit in the stomach. Tears welled in his eyes and he placed his tankard down, looking into it. He didn't know what to say, all his emotions whirling inside of him. After a few minutes of silence he finally gathered his courage and opened his mouth.

"How did it happen?" Cultise asked hoarsely.

"I'm sorry, but it's not my place to tell you. Only Kio, his son has the right."

"Kio?"

Faial pointed at Kio. He was busy stuffing his face with gusto.

"That's him, Cultise's son."

"So that's who that kid is! I remember him, but he was so young when I left I doubt he remembers me. Now that you mention it, I can see the resemblance."

Faial pulled out a pipe and started smoking. "This may be all of a sudden, but I was wondering…"

"What?"

"I was wondering if you would train the kid."

"No, Id rather not."

"Why not? Both of you are young. You've still got lot's of time ahead of you."

"Why don't you train him, then?"

"I've tried for some time now but I've been unsuccessful. He's right. Who wants to learn from an old geezer like me?"

"That's not the point. If you failed, how do you expect me to do any better?"

"Because you were Arzen's apprentice. You have a special bond that I could never achieve with him."

Cultise's reluctance was slowly wearing down, but he wanted to resist as much as he could. "As I told the kid, experience is one of the most valuable things to a hunter. I can't just go around handing out my knowledge to everyone."

"I know. On the other hand apprenticeships exists. Most hunters can't bear to die without passing on their knowledge to someone. When the right moment comes you'll want to do so too. I think this is that time."

Cultise didn't answer immediately.

Faial's tone changed. "Or is the mighty one -armed Cultise afraid?

All of a sudden Cultise felt tired, even old. "Fine. I'll take your challenge. Things have been a bit tedious anyway. I'll train him."

"Thank you my friend." Faial smiled and got up. The two men embraced each other.

Kio heard his name being called over the din. He jumped up and ran over to where the chief was standing. He looked happy.

"This gentleman has agreed to become your teacher."

"What!" Before Kio could react, Cultise spoke up.

"By the way I've got a few conditions."

Sitting down, the village chief nodded in agreement. "I thought as much. And those are?"

"I'm not going to teach him everything. Only the fundamentals."

"Of course." The chief answered.

"And no backtalk from him at all on how I teach. It has to be complete submission on his part."

"Sure." the chief agreed with a smile.

The one who had to completely submit, Kio, was shocked into silence by how easily the chief was signing away HIS life.

"Also let's make a time limit. Since it's the end of fall now… Until the end of mating season or spring as you may. Even if he doesn't master everything I teach him."

"Naturally."

"Last of all, the apprentice fees half of everything the kid earns gets passed it on to me as payment. I'll promise to take real good care of him during the training period instead."

I'd sooner die than become your apprentice! But before Kio could say anything, the village chief said "Okay" and agreed.

"C, chief!" When Kio cried out, the village chief scratched his head rather sorrowfully.

"Uh, well, for you it'll be a good experience for sure. You'll get a steady income and you get to learn whatever you want. And for the village it means less monsters plus more valuable materials. See? Everyone's happy." The village chief laughed. Kio wanted nothing more than to trash the agreement, but without any results on his own over the past weeks, Kio. realized he couldn't say "No."

"What ever," Kio muttered.

"It's not 'what ever,' it's 'Yes Sir!' to you. You're going to be my apprentice from now on, right? With an attitude like that you won't learn anything I teach you. You don't want to drag it on any longer than it has to, do you?"

It was total defeat. Cultise chuckled evilly at Kio, who was at a loss of words.

"If you've got talent I'll make you into a hunter in no time. You heard me say my name before, but let me formally introduce myself – I'm Cultise and I'm a heavy bowgun user."

"Wait a minute! I'm a dual swords user! I don't want to–"

Before he could finish speaking, Cultise's fist came down on his head.

"Shut up – no backtalk, remember?"

"Owww! This is abuse!"

"No, I'm doing this out of my love for you. It's for your own good. Call it a love tap, if you want."

Kio glared at Cultise with every bit of hatred he could muster. The village chief, who was watching the exchange, laughed.

"Well it seems you two will get along just fine."

"I'll get rid of you as soon as possible!" Kio had no intention of learning. I'll pretend to obey but quickly prove how good I am and get rid of him.

He was burning with a completely different kind of drive than the day before.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

_Disclaimer: Monster Hunter is copyright Capcom. "The Legacy of a Hunter" is copyright Keiichi Hikami._

"What are you, a cockroach?"

A wooden tray came flying and ricocheted off the back of Kio's head.

"Oww! I'm telling you, this is abuse!"

"Then listen to what I say!"

"I'll promise to obey if you give my weapons back!"

"Nope. You're not ready yet."

"Am too!"

"Are not! Not by a million years."

"I won't live that long!"

Since Cultise would be staying for a good amount of time, the village chief decided that it would be better for Cultise to live in Kio's house rather than one of the village's inns.

To Kio though, it was only adding insult to injury, and had thrown him out of the frying pan and into the fire right from the start."

Cultise's first order had in fact been the very thing he had been most worried about, which was a change of weapon. Kio had argued but Cultise hadn't paid any attention and had hidden Kio's dual swords. Ever since, it had become routine for Kio to search for his weapons once night fell.

"Don't mock the fundamentals! How many times do I have to tell you?"

Luckily Cultise didn't choose a heavy bowgun like himself but–

"A sword and shield? I graduated from this years ago!"

The sword and shield or the single–handed sword as it is called, was probably the first weapon every hunter learned to use. The one Cultise had gotten for Kio wasn't high quality but a Bone Scythe that he'd randomly bought from a shop. Its strength and quality was nothing compared to his Gradius Ultimus.

Today was the fifth day since Cultise had moved in, but all Cultise had done was go visit the village chief and listen to his stories. In fact yesterday Kio had watched him spend all day talking nonsense with Miranda, the guild rep.

Kio hadn't done anything either. Cultise had banned him from hunting alone telling him, "I'll choose all the missions from now on. You can only go when I say so, and that's an order." Or whatever.

Kio's was ready to prove he didn't need a master, but without the chance to do so he was left frustrated. _Something_ (by chance) had kept him from killing the Bulldrome but he was sure it wasn't his fault. He had confidence in his stamina and his skill was perfect from practicing his forms everyday. With the right opportunity, everything would go well. Kio was sure of it.

Kio rolled around on his bed after another unsuccessful search. He was staring at the ceiling when Cultise suddenly poked his head into the room.

"Go to bed, kid. We're heading out to the hunting grounds tomorrow so you'd better be well rested."

"Huh?" Kio wasn't sure if he had misheard.

"You deaf or something? I said we're going hunting tomorrow."

"Great! I'll prove how good I am. Then you'll know there's there's nothing that you can teach me."

"Yes, yes. I can't wait," Cultise answered sarcastically.

* * *

><p>They had come to the jungle. Kio thought the target would be the ferocious Bulldrome Cultise had been talking about but he was proven wrong.<p>

"Why do I have to do this now!" It was almost winter. Kio threw dead leaves and leaf mold up into the air, watching as the leaves floated down around him. He lay down on a patch of ground that was relatively cool, under a tree shade and looked at the sky. He could see birds flying about in the cloudless sky.

"Break time's over." Cultise said, having found him lazing and dropping muck on his head.

"Arghh! What was that for!"

"Be on your guard however peaceful it is. Never underestimate nature. Just because there were no reports of a large monster doesn't mean it's safe."

"Then tell me why we're gathering mushrooms right now."

"It should be 'Will you please tell me, kind master.'"

More muck was added.

"Arghh! Stop it!" Kio wiped his face and jumped up. "What does gathering mushrooms have to do with becoming a hunter! Uh, master?"

Cultise smiled smugly when Kio corrected himself, but he didn't answer his question.

"Just be quiet and do as I say."

"Ok! I got it! I'll get all the mushrooms in the world and we can get out of here!" There was no chance to show Cultise how good he was if they were only collecting mushrooms. Kio dug furiously, venting all his emotion into finding the leaf mold. He brushed off the dead leaves, grabbed the mushrooms and tossed them into a woven basket.

"Hey, don't treat them roughly. They won't sell if they're bruised."

"Yes sir, no sir, three bags full sir."

Mushrooms were a specialty of the area, and although they weren't as valuable as monster materials, they were easy to find and there was always a steady demand. Recently they had become popular in the cities as a health food and right now it was the main business in Cocotte.

"This is commoners work." But Kio knew why hunters were asked to do it. The main reason was safety. Even without large monsters, nature tended to be very dangerous; a smaller monster could easily kill an untrained civilian. It was much safer to have hunters do the job.

The other reason was that some idiot in the village had made a mistake and gathered poison mushrooms once, which had lead to food poisoning in the city, though Kio couldn't believe that someone so stupid existed. To keep accidents like that from happening again, all the mushrooms were now gathered by hunters. Kio was a rookie, but even he knew the difference between edible mushrooms and not.

"Poison mushroom, poison mushroom. Hey, this whole area is poison mushrooms!" Kio tossed what he gathered aside.

Cultise strolled over and Kio thought he would start giving orders again, but instead he picked up a poison mushroom.

"Hmm, the stalk's crushed. Can't you be a bit more careful with these things?" He reached for the rest to put them into his bag.

"Hey, those are poisonous. Parashrooms, right? They're not edible."

"Never you mind. You just keep picking the regular mushrooms."

Then Kio noticed Cultise's armor was spotless, not a smudge of dirt could be seen.

"Cultise! I was wondering why it was taking so long to fill the basket, but now I get it! You haven't been picking any mushrooms, have you!"

"It's 'Master Cultise' to you, buster."

"Ow!" Kio yelled in pain when Cultise hit him in the head. "What was that for?"

Humming, Cultise gathered a few more mushrooms completely ignoring Kio. He stood and made a move to leave.

"Where are you going?"

"Listen. Monsters rarely appear in this area so you keep gathering mushrooms and when you're done head back to the base camp. And don't even think about leaving me behind to go home."

"I'm not a coward like that!"

Cultise lazily raised his hand in farewell as he walked away. Kio made every rude gesture he knew at Cultise's back.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

_Disclaimer: Monster Hunter is copyright Capcom. "The Legacy of a Hunter" is copyright Keiichi Hikami._

Since the mushroom pickings, Cultise and Kio went on several missions. But there was no sign of fighting against large monsters. Each time Cultise chose mushroom gathering quests and left Kio to do all the gathering as he walked around the forest. On top of that twice they went at night, Cultise taking all kinds of weird things like bug nets.

To Kio it was incomprehensible. Every time he confronted Cultise, Cultise would tell him to wait and see. Today Cultise had left early in the morning, saying that they'd go out hunting so 'stay put'.

"Orders, orders, orders." Keo thought. "I've had it. I'm gonna make it clear today if it's the last thing I do."

He heard someone walk into the house and Kio ran to the door. _He's been worming his way out of it but I'm not going to let him escape this time._

"When in the world are we gonna go on a large mon–"

"We're going on a Velodrome hunt," Cultise interrupted.

Kio tripped and went sprawling. He lifted his face, hand covering his bruised nose. "You serious?"

"Yeah. You'd better hurry or I'll leave you behind."

"Wait! Don't move an inch!" Kio ran back into his room to get ready. He hastily pulled on his armor and reluctantly belted on his Bone Scythe by his carving knife. He rummaged through his things, pulling out several potions and whetstones and tossing them into his bag.

"The sun's going to set if you're any slower."

"Wait! Don't leave!"

Cultise turned and walked out of the house. Kio ran out after him into the bright sunlight, intent on proving his prowess.

* * *

><p>Cocotte was situated in the Teross jungles, and it was where most of the hunting was done. The Velodrome sighting had been northeast of Cocotte, at a peninsula on the other side of the Imaz River. Since it would take days to detour the wide river, the only option was to cross on a boat.<p>

Kio jumped into the water as the raft landed on the shore. The water was knee deep and surprisingly cold. He grabbed the rope on the bow and pulled the raft higher onto the land, then tied it securely around a stake. Since teaming with Cultise this had been one of the jobs he was forced to do and he hated how the mucky water seeped through his armor, but today he didn't care.

"Ha! I wish you were this enthusiastic every time," Cultise said.

Today Kio felt nothing could stop him. Even Cultise's annoying remarks sounded refreshing.

"Okay. The base camp is mostly ready. Don't forget to add the supplies to your bag," Cultise said a few minutes later.

"Yeah! I know!"

For each quest, either the guild, village chief, or client sent basic supplies to help on the mission. On the past mushroom gathering missions it hadn't been needed but today it would be quite useful. In the storage box Kio spotted something unusual among the supplies. _It must be something Cultise brought._

"What in the world are these?" Kio could see small fist sized balls of every color, bugnets and several metal doohickeys. The round metal contraptions were about half an arms length long and a hands width wide. It wasn't very thick but it was much heavier than it looked.

"It's none of your business, you idiot."

"What ever." Kio did as he was told and carried the box from the raft to the tent.

"We'll leave when you're ready."

"Alright, let's go!"

But as they started to leave, Cultise stopped abruptly. "Oh, I almost forgot. We've got an extra job to do first."

"Huh?"

Cultise explained that because of the Velodrome, the Velociprey population had spiked. A request to reduce the number of Velociprey's had been added to the original mission.

"But why can't we do that after we've killed the Velodrome?" The logical thing to do was to take out the alpha male first, then take care of the leaderless group. Or just come back a second time to finish the latter mission. Kio had no idea what Cultise was trying to do.

"Come on, let's just get it over with. We'll take down the lackeys, and then we can take the Big Boy. I brought some expensive ammo this time so I'd like to collect the extra reward. It'll be good training for you too."

"Good grief." Kio started to complain when a wonderful idea came to mind. He couldn't help smiling so he turned away to keep Cultise from seeing his expression.

"Listen. How about this? I'll go and complete the extra job by myself. You can wait here."

"Eh?"

Kio put on a calm face and turned back to Cultise.

"Well, if you come won't it be wasting your precious ammo?"

"Well, yeah."

"Then let me take care of the grunt work. You just stay here and take a nap, old man!"

"Go ahead." Whether or not he sensed Kio's intensions, Cultise walked over to the tent and laid down on the bed. He lazily raised his hand in farewell as Kio made his way out of the base camp.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

_Disclaimer: Monster Hunter is copyright Capcom. "The Legacy of a Hunter" is copyright Keiichi Hikami._

Kio ran across the jungle floor with delight.

He didn't think he'd get so lucky today. He would aim at only one thing; the Velodrome. He'd outwit Cultise, prove that he was more than good enough by himself to the village chief, and get rid of his "teacher"

After calming down a bit, Kio stopped running and pulled out a map his from his pocket. He was near the southeast cliff. He could keep going north or turn left toward the center of the peninsula.

_Let's see. Where could you be hiding?_ Kio stared hungrily at the map. _If I remember correctly, Cultise said that there was a Velociprey nest in the caves._

There were few trees in the immediate area and the visibility was good. It would be one of the better places to fight without anything getting in the way. Then, _bingo_!

Kio was sure he saw a blue shape on his left. He turned and ran after the monster, and sure enough it was the Velodrome.

_I've killed Velocipreys before. It shouldn't be a problem to take on a slightly bigger one, _thought Kio as he made his way up a slope. The top of the hill opened to another wide area and Kio saw the monster enter a giant entrance to what seemed to be a cave. Cultise had said that a humongous cave was situated in the heart of the jungle, with tunnels that winded around like mazes.

Fifty yards to his left the ground dropped off to form a cliff overlooking the river. He was much higher than he had expected, and tried not to imagine what would happen if he were to fall from there. Kio was not afraid of heights, but he was not particularly fond of them either.

The clearing was wide and spacious, no trees with only a bit of undergrowth. Kio counted three Mosswines searching for mushrooms but more importantly he saw his enemy; a Bullfango.

The Bullfango noticed Kio's presence and pawed the ground menacingly. Kio knew the motion too well from all his previous fights. He didn't want to waste time, but he neither did he want to run from a fight.

Kio drew his Bone Scythe, preparing for the battle to come. The Bone Scythe really wasn't a scythe, but more of a short sword with an opposite curve and made thicker as a trade off for the lack of length. The shortness made it easy to handle, the thickness helped it withstand the damage of battle.

Suddenly the Bullfango charged with a cloud of dust. Kio waited patiently until the last second before he nimbly dodged sideways. The Bullfango rushed through where Kio had been moments before. As soon as Kio righted himself, he turned and ran after the Bullfango, who had come to a halt, confused by the disappearance.

Kio closed the distance between the monster and leapt forward, bringing his weapon down on the monsters defenseless back. But with the combination of the Bullfango's thick hide and the Bone Scythe's dullness, it was more like pounding then cutting.

The Bullfango whirled around but faltered when Kio shifted his focus to its head. Being attacked at it weak point, the Bullfango soon fell from Kio's onslaught, unable to strike back.

"How do you like that?" After checking to see that there were no more monsters around, Kio pulled out his hunter's knife. 'Make use of every part of what you kill' was the unspoken rule of hunters.

He carved off the Bullfango's hide and stuffed into his bag, then buried the carcass. But he knew he was doing it only because he had been told to do so. In truth he had no idea of how the hide would be useful. "Someday I'll make use of your hide when I find out how… This may sound like an excuse, but you're the one who attacked first."

After saying that he stood and lingered a bit before he sighed and started walking.

* * *

><p>Two caves opened to the area, and according to the map both led to the northern shore. However, the cave on the right led to a small cliff face, and Kio was sure the shape from earlier had entered the left one.<p>

"Which means left." The best route would be to enter through his chosen cave, following it through to the end before exiting out to the shore, and if he couldn't find the Velodrome, double back through the cave on the right.

Kio smirked as he thought of Cultise who was still sleeping at the base camp. _What an idiot_, thought Kio "Well ready or not, Velodrome, here I come!" he said as he headed toward the left cave.

As he peered inside he noticed it was surprisingly light, not the dark he had expected, and he searched for the source. He glanced at the ceiling and stared for a few moments, until he finally grasped what he was looking at.

A gigantic portion of the ceiling and walls had crumbled down, revealing a beautiful view of the forest below. Bright sunlight shone through the opening, illuminating the insides of the cave and adding to the majestic atmosphere.

After cautiously stepping into the cave, Kio was dumbfounded. The cave was enormous, easily the largest cave he had ever seen. _How can an area so huge exist underground?_

Parts of the floor had broken away, and Kio guessed that either an earthquake or some rending of the ground had occurred long time ago, leaving only the solid ground. Water flowed from an opening in the wall and created a small stream that ran across the cavern until it reached a waterfall and cascaded down.

All in all it was the most beautiful scenery Kio had ever seen. He hadn't come this deep into the jungle in any of the previous hunts.

A familiar screech abruptly interrupted his thoughts. _Oh great, I've got company._

He turned and saw something he had missed on his first inspection of the cave: some yellowish-brown things were scattered on the other side and a flock of blue-scaled reptiles surrounded them. Unfortunately, no Velodrome. _That must be their nest._

"Well, well, well! It seems the rest of the family's here!"

Kio counted a total of eight monsters. He had missed them when he had first entered the cave since his eyes were unaccustomed to the darkness. The reptiles had noticed him from the beginning though, and they were watching his every movement. Then two of the monsters detached themselves from the group and casually approached. _Those two must be the vanguard of the pack._

Kio reluctantly drew his Bone Scythe and stood ready. He didn't want to waste energy fighting small fry, but it was his policy to never turn his back from a fight, no matter how trivial.

Velocipreys were categorized as bird wyvern, and it was said that they had evolved from a bird-like creature. They're characteristics were a mix of bird and reptile; a thin head with a beak-like mouth, slender body, small forearms and muscular hind legs.

One of the Velocipreys which had been approaching suddenly picked up its pace and rushed at Kio.

Kio easily dodged as he did earlier with the Bullfango. The second Velociprey leapt into the air, aiming at where Kio would get up.

As soon as he landed on his feet, Kio jumped to evade the second monster, only to find himself facing a third as it charged at him. _Whoa!_

Kio twisted his body as hard as he could and the blow barely missed him. _Where'd he come from!_

His earlier confidence quickly disappeared as the three Velocipreys began to move in perfect coordination with each other. Their teamwork soon had Kio cornered up against a wall. With a screech, the Velociprey in front stabbed it's beak at Kio.

Somehow Kio managed to avoid it and seeing an opening, got up to attack the monsters unprotected body only to be stopped by the other two Velocipreys.

Finally Kio decided to change tactics. Instead of trying to dodge everything he decided he would attack, even if it cost him a few scratches. A single Velociprey wasn't to be feared. It was much more of a problem when they attacked in union. The best thing to do was to take each one by one on one.

Raising his sword, Kio jumped forward in a sharp motion and brought it down on a leaping Velociprey. The combined force of Kio's blow and the Velociprey's leap sent the monster sprawling, and the momentum carried it over the edge and down into the forest below.

_Lucky! In one blow! Only two left._

Because of the sudden loss of a comrade the two Velocipreys faltered and glanced nervously at each other. Seeing the opening he was waiting for, Kio charged and once again slammed his weapon down on an unguarded head.

The Velociprey let out a cry of pain and staggered backward. Using the momentum of his first blow, Kio turned around and attacked in flurry of blows. Finally spinning once more and using centrifugal force, Kio struck with all his weight. With a loud crack the Velociprey lurched forward and crashed to the floor, no longer moving.

_Two down, one to go!_

The last Velociprey seemed to have trouble deciding what to do when two of its allies disappeared consecutively. Kio's breaths came in short rasps but ignoring his fatigue he quickly breathed in and closed in on the monster.

Releasing his breath with a huff, Kio ducked down beneath the Velociprey. Exposed before him were two small arms and the greatest weak point, their stomach. He stabbed his sword deep into the unprotected gut and the Velociprey released a weak gurgle.

Since Velocipreys were one of the smaller creatures in the wild, they rarely fought against anything smaller than themselves. Underneath their bodies were a complete blind spot._ This is the one time I'm happy for being shorter than average._

As Kio stood, his eyes met the dying Velociprey's eyes._ I wonder if it understands what just happened._ Kio saw incomprehension instead of fear in the monster's eyes. With a dull thud the corpse crashed to the floor.

Kio looked across the cave toward the Velociprey nest. The other Velocipreys stayed put, seeming intent on protecting their nest, which was fine with him.

Kio was surprised by how tired he felt. Because he had moved so violently, with so much force, in such a short time had run out of stamina. The lack of oxygen made him dizzy and light's flashed in the edges of his vision. Not caring how he looked, Kio flopped down on the ground and groaned.

"Heh, heh. I did it." It was a while since he had moved this violently. It was shocking how much energy he lost by a few weeks of not fighting.

_After resting a bit more maybe I should head back to the base camp._

When his breathing calmed down he noticed a few scratches and injuries here and there. None of it was serious, but now that he had noticed it, he was sure that he would be slowed down by it.

Kio pulled out healing potion from his bag and downed it in one gulp. Healing potions weren't really 'healing potion' but more of a medicine developed to stimulate the body to heal quicker than normal. He decided that continuing would be out of the question.

_I think I should head back. Though I know for sure Cultise will have something annoying to say. Oh, well._

Kio forced himself to stand up, ignoring the protests of his wobbling knees. In the distance he heard the Velociprey pack's irritating cries. He was busy thinking how to justify his sudden return when he noticed the Velociprey's change in tone.

From caution, to calling for help.

"What the hell..."

One Velociprey appeared at the mouth of the northern entrance. It let out a loud screech and started toward Kio. _But why is he so big?_ It took him a moment to notice the large red crest atop the monsters head.

_Not Velociprey, but Velodrome!_

Kio turned to run, ignoring his earlier policy and forcing his body to move. But the Velocipreys which had been watching cautiously a few minutes before, now stood between him and the exit, and an additional two had seemingly appeared out of nowhere.

"You've got to be kidding me!"

Kio didn't have time to draw his weapon as he dodged a leaping Velociprey. He felt the monsters claw nick his leg and the horrifying sound of metal being scratched filled the air.

_Arghh! I can't keep up with this!_

Kio couldn't think of anything but to keep dodging as more and more Velocipreys entered the fray. When he finally drew his weapon a particularly nasty blow from behind knocked him to the ground and the sword went flying out of his hand. He landed heavily on his stomach but he didn't have the time to worry about the pain or the loss of his weapon as the monsters continued the onslaught.

And all the while Kio could hear the heavy footsteps of the Velodrome approaching. The creature let out its annoying screech, but whether it was the rage of losing a pack member or the joy of gaining prey Kio couldn't tell.

When Kio was sure he couldn't take another hit, all of a sudden the attacks stopped and the smaller members of the pack started to back away. He gathered his courage and turned to face the new threat, the Velodrome. And regretted it as soon as he did.

He expected the Velodrome to be bigger than a normal Velociprey, but what he saw was a monster easily three to four times bigger.

The Velodrome didn't attack immediately but stopped and stared at Kio. The rest of the pack made a rough circle, waiting for orders from their leader.

From around the Velodrome's mouth Kio smelled a repulsive odor, like rotten meat and vegetables mixed together._ I might become the very source of that smell soon._

An unexplainable sense of fear came over him, and that fear drained all the strength from his legs, and his knees gave way.

_Why, oh, why did I even think of coming alone?_ None of his earlier drive remained, and only true regret filled his heart.

The Velodrome suddenly lost interest in Kio and charged. As it lunged, Kio saw deep into its eyes, beckoning, beckoning for Kio to come.

In a last ditch effort Kio brought his shield up and rammed it into the Velodrome's face, deflecting the blow, but the Velodrome bit deep into his shoulder. The razor sharp teeth penetrated his armor as if it was paper. Pain exploded in his left arm and Kio almost fainted.

There was nothing he could do but painfully watch as the Velodrome pulled its teeth out of his shoulder. The monster quickly regained its balance and looking a bit annoyed, ripped the shield out of Kio's grasp._ So is this how it's going to end?_

Turning back to Kio, the Velodrome lunged again and Kio accepted the inevitable.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

_Disclaimer: Monster Hunter is copyright Capcom. "The Legacy of a Hunter" is copyright Keiichi Hikami.  
><em>

A single gunshot rang out over the air, and the killing blow never came.

Kio heard a whimper in front of him. He slowly opened his eyes to see the Velodrome facing a different direction, as was the rest of the pack. There was a gaping wound where the Velodrome's crest used to be.

Kio turned toward the sound. There was no mistake. Only one other person could be here now.

Three more gunshots sounded one after the other and several Velociprey's fell, one right behind Kio with blood spurting from what was left of its head (the stump).

"Cultise!"

"Get out of here!"

Only four Velocipreys remained and the circle was broken.

Kio was surprised by the amount of energy left in his body as he jumped to his feet and ran.

The Velociprey let out an enraged cry and started to chase but to Kio's surprise the monster suddenly turned and fled, leaving its pack behind.

The turn of events were the last thing Kio expected and in spite of himself he stopped dead in his tracks. _He's the leader and he's just running away!_

"What are you doing? Let's go!" Ignoring the remaining Velociprey Cultise shouldered his gun and gave chase.

"Hey! Wait a minute!"

Kio gave up and started running. He saw the Velodrome exit the cave from where it entered, the northern entrance.

Being closer to the Velodrome, Kio exited the huge cavern first. The sunlight was bright, momentarily blinding him. It seemed like ages ago when he was last under the sun and the warmth felt good.

"Don't stop, idiot! Keep moving!"

Only Cultise's warning and Kio's instincts saved him from instant death as he threw himself forward.

Kio felt a swipe behind his head and once again he smelled that repulsive odor he would never forget. Kio got up and ran for his life, not caring how ridiculous he looked.

The Velodrome.

He thought the monster had run away, but it had been waiting beside the cave entrance for someone to appear and be blinded, making it the perfect chance to ambush. Kio was genuinely shocked if this was the intelligence of monsters. _Without Cultise's warning I'd be dead._

The Velodrome hadn't given up and it started to chase after Kio.

"Kio! Keep running straight! No matter what happens don't turn or dodge!"

"What! Have you gone crazy!"

There was no way Kio could out run the Velodrome's long strides. One leap and he'd be caught. Kio ran, taking every step and expecting it to be his last.

But suddenly the Velodrome let out a loud painful screech, and Kio couldn't help turning to see what was going on. The Velodrome seemed to be frozen in place, twitching violently. He noticed the monster had stepped on a metal, oval shaped box

It took a while for Kio to understand what was happening until he remembered the things Cultise had brought. _It must be some kind of trap._

Contrarily to Kio, Cultise didn't waste a moment and ran over to the Velodrome. In one fluid motion Cultise flipped his bowgun from his back and positioned it in front of him.

Pressing the muzzle of his weapon against the Velodrome's immobile head, he pulled the trigger in rapid succession. Heavy sounds like hammer blows rang out through the forest.

After firing all his rounds, Cultise pulled the cock-lever, releasing the empty rounds and reloading his weapon. His motions were so quick and effortless that Kio could barely see what he was doing.

Once again Cultise re-aimed his bowgun and fired with a cold blooded disinterest and machinelike precision.

In the end the Velodrome died before it could escape the clutches of the trap.

It was over in a flash.

"How did you… Why…"

What Kio really wanted to do was thank Cultise for saving his life, but unable to be frank, unintelligible words poured out of his mouth. Ignoring the dead Velodrome, Cultise walked over and pulled out bandages and healing potions. He handed a bottle to Kio and, using another, starting cleaning Kio's shoulder wound before he answered.

"Why? You are my apprentice after all. What's wrong with saving you? It's my duty to keep you alive until the end of your training period."

Kio was surprised by the kind words and he became embarrassed. He hadn't expected this from Cultise.

"But it was obvious." Continued Cultise. "From the very beginning. There was no way you'd be so enthusiastic when all you do normally is complain. I knew in an instant you'd go after the Velodrome. The only reason I let you go was to teach you a lesson."

Cultise was grinning mischievously as he explained. "The leader of a Velociprey pack moves around the forest in a rough circle, continually patrolling its territory. This is true for Iopreys and Genpreys so don't forget that. Now you, probably remembering what I said about the nest, decided to start a racket in there. At best I bet you killed three or four."

He had hit the nail on the head. _What is he, a psychic or something?_

"At your age I guess that's impressive in it self though. You're probably the youngest hunter I've ever seen."

"Really?"

"Don't get cocky. But anyway since the Velodrome is pretty cunning, I knew it wouldn't be able to take on two hunters at once. He would try to run away and then pick us off one at a time with ambush. So I circled around and set a shock trap ahead of time.

Talk about impeccable. Kio was going to show how 'good' he was and yet he was saved by the very person he had tried to outwit. Kio didn't know what to say, he was so embarrassed.

"On the past few missions I walked around the peninsula and observed the Velociprey pack while you picked mushrooms. Where their nest is, their behavior, hunting grounds, game paths, everything is in my head. That is why I can do things like this. That is true hunting.

"Watching you today I won't say you don't have potential. But your knowledge is nowhere near what's necessary to survive. You can't get through this world on strength alone."

"Well I'm gonna hunt however I please."

"Those are words for a master. Someone who has actually accomplished something."

Kio was unable to argue and he saw Cultise's eyes flash.

"Well, well Mr. Kio. I thought it was complete submission but you've disobeyed my orders. What kind of punishment do you think would be appropriate once your shoulder has healed? How's fifty laps around the village sound? Hmm? Or maybe peeling a hundred onions?"

"Ha, ha, ha…" Kio laughed nervously.

"Don't worry. There's lot's of time and I'll figure out something really, really nice for you."

Kio started to back away. _He's serious._ He had only known Cultise for a short time but he had no doubt it wouldn't be something to look forward to.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

_Disclaimer: Monster Hunter is copyright Capcom. "The Legacy of a Hunter" is copyright Keiichi Hikami._

_Damn, this sure screws things._

Kio sighed and sat down in the middle of the jungle, careful not to spill mushrooms from his basket. He was sure that his injury wasn't that bad, and he felt completely fine after two weeks since defeating the Velodrome, but Cultise had kept him from hunting for nearly a month. Kio didn't know whether to be upset or happy, for while hunting was banned for a month, it also meant that he was that much closer to freedom from Cultise. Until he was told by the chief how 'kind' Cultise had been for willing to extend the training period by a month to make up for the loss.

He had expected they'd start hunting large monsters, but Cultise would not hear of it, choosing only mushroom gathering missions. Kio knew his body was in perfect condition and there was no longer a need to study the Velocipreys habitats anymore, and yet Cultise still left him to pick mushrooms as he walked around the forest. Recently Cultise was taking a pick-axe with him but he wouldn't answer why.

Gathering mushrooms was getting tiring, but ever since being saved by Cultise it was getting harder to rebel, and neither did he want to get on the wrong side of the man. Just remembering about the 'nice' things Cultise had made him do sent shivers down his spine. But while the work Kio was doing seemed useless to him, like studying monsters habitats, he realized that there might be a reason behind it.

Feeling the need for a solution, but not sure what to do, Kio lowered the basket from his back and looked inside. He was surprised to see that it was full, easily more than what the chief had ordered. Doing the same thing for months had made him a very efficient mushroom gatherer, but he had no idea how that would help him to become a better hunter.

The sun was high, and Kio guessed it was an hour before noon. There was lots of time left, thought Kio. It wouldn't hurt to bring something extra back home.

He looked around the clearing, afraid that Cultise might be watching.

_What am I doing? I haven't done anything wrong. There is nothing to be afraid of!_ Kio slapped his face, then closed the basket and tightly tied it.

There were many things he could gather at this time of year. First was ores. There were several places in the jungle perfect for mining. Most places had only whetstones and iron ore, but Cultise had taught him three places where machalite could be mined. Unfortunately, he didn't have any mining gear with him.

Next were things like honey and sunset herbs, which were ingredients for different kinds of medicines. However, Kio already had enough sunset herbs and there wasn't much honey to get during the winter.

_I guess the only thing left is meat._

He was beginning to feel hungry anyway so he decided to go hunting. He felt his mouth starting to water as he imagined the taste of the grilled meat. Whatever he couldn't eat he would take back to the village, for there could never be too much food.

_Maybe I could grill some for Cultise too, if there are any leftovers. I'll say it's a 'thank you' for when he saved me._

Kio didn't want Cultise to think that he was starting to like him so he made an excuse and walked toward the edge of the clearing.

* * *

><p>Nothing was easy in the jungle. Even a task as simple as walking became hard labor. Kio had to concentrate on every step because dead leaves, mold and weird plants covered the ground waiting to ensnare him. More than once he had tripped and fallen over a protruding root or a hollow in the land.<p>

Regardless of the season, Kio was drenched in sweat under his armor. The cold winter air felt nice and refreshing on his skin. The only good thing about the jungle was, because of large monsters, most places were wide enough for him to use his sword without any trouble.

_Now that I think about it, I had never really thought of things like these before._ Whether or not it was because he had fought against the Velodrome, he had recently begun to unconsciously think about spacing and the lay of the land. He was coming to 'see' where he could fight freely and where he couldn't.

_Hey, there you are._

Behind a grove of trees, a group of Aptonoths were grazing. He could see their giant backs through the trees. Lowering his body, Kio slowly advanced on the pack, careful to keep his presence hidden.

Soon he was close enough to clearly see the beasts, and counted a total of eight monsters in the herd. They had an enormous bodies, short stocky legs, long tails, and small heads. Their hides were a stone-colored gray.

Aptonoths were very widely known, and not only to hunters but to commoners also. They were very tame and many merchants and farmers used them to pull carts and plow fields.

Kio crept as close as he could to one of the Aptonoth, then drew his sword and ran. One of the other Aptonoth must have sensed danger for it let out a low bellow, but Kio ignored it.

Aptonoths were big and couldn't turn quickly, and they also rarely attacked humans. The only problem was if they started running, their four legs could quickly out distance a human. So the key was to catch them by surprise before they could run.

Kio executed three clean strokes into the Aptonoth's neck, and the monster crashed to the ground. He sheathed his weapon and prepared to start carving when to his astonishment, one of the other Aptonoth suddenly charged.

Aptonoths were cowardly and the last thing he had expected was an attack. _The rest of the pack has run away so what is making this one act so strangely?_

Kio dodged with ease, then drew his sword and opened a deep wound in the monster's back. Taking no chances, he released a volley of blows and soon the second was lying on the ground like the first.

Kio had only planned on killing one, so even though it was self defense, it still made him feel bad.

"It ain't my fault, you know. You attacked first."

Kio checked the surrounding area to make sure there were no more monsters, then pulled out his carving knife.

* * *

><p>Cultise was humming a tune, carrying a pick-axe and a bag stuffed with ores when he came back to the base camp. He seemed surprised as he saw Kio load the carved meats and bones onto the boat.<p>

"What's this? It seems like my teaching has finally paid off." Saying that he ruffled Kio's hair.

"Hey! Stop it!"

"Hey? Hay is for horses."

"I cooked some meat and was waiting for you, but unless you stop I won't let you eat any, you idiot!"

"Man, I feel sooooo hungry." Cultise pretended not to hear Kio and dropped the ores he was carrying on to the boat, then rushed over to the fire and started eating.

"Mmm. At least you didn't burn it like last time."

"Leave some for me!" said Kio as he loaded the rest of the carved meats. At the speed Cultise was eating, Kio wondered if there would be anything left, and the last thing he wanted was to go home on an empty stomach.

"Hey, Cultise?"

"Hmm?" Cultise turned, with meat in his mouth and juice dripping down his chin.

"Never mind. I'll ask after we're done eating."

Kio sat down and dug in to the meat. It didn't have a rich flavor but it still tasted great.

"This is good!"

"If I could drink some beer than it would be perfect." Cultise sighed and pretended to be so dejected that Kio couldn't help laughing.

"So what was it you wanted to ask?" After rudely licking each finger clean and drinking some water, Cultise spoke up.

"I don't know how to explain it, but it's just that recently it seems I can see more or move freely. It's like all of my senses has changed. Why? I bet there's a reason, isn't there?"

Kio wished he could put it into words better. Not just moving and seeing, but he felt he was reacting better in different situations. Yet he didn't know why or how. He wondered if it was because they had defeated the Velodrome, but in reality Cultise was the one who had done all the work and Kio hadn't done anything.

"I won't deny that you've grown, but you're still nowhere near ready. But remember that feeling."

Cultise was laughing in a satisfied manner. Something must be going on with the man's plans but Kio didn't know what.

"Ok. I'll figure it out on my own."

* * *

><p>Kio stretched and loosened his muscles as the boat arrived at Cocotte village. No matter how easy the quest, it still was a relief to be back and he felt the tension drain from his body.<p>

But Cultise was the always the same. As Kio secured the boat to the dock, he wondered why Cultise always seemed so relaxed, whether they were on a mission or at home.

_That's not the only strange about him._ He sat down and watched Cultise lift the bag of ores and get off the vessel. It was filled to the brim with heavy metals and yet Cultise lifted it easily. He was supposed to be a gunner and yet he was much stronger than most swordsmen, and he knew quite a lot about swords. _I know he's keeping things from me, but I wonder who he really is._

Kio's speculation was cut off as Cultise said, "C'mon, man. Get up! The sun is going to set if you laze around anymore."

"Can't you give me a break!"

"You sure are a wimp." Kio was going to retort when he noticed Cultise's joking smile. He shook his head and followed Cultise up the road leading to the back entrance of the village.

"Where're we going?" Since Kio wasn't holding anything, and he didn't want to be ridiculed anymore for being late, he trotted to catch up and fell into step with Cultise.

"Hmm? To Gran-Gran's."

"Gran-Gran's?"

Cultise stopped dead in his tracks and whirled around, obviously shocked.

"What! You mean you don't know who she is? In this small of a village? And you call yourself a hunter! Wait, do you even know what kinds of craftsmen and facilities are in this village?"

"Craftsmen?"

"I can't believe what I'm hearing. Congratulations, you have to be the most ignorant hunter ever." Cultise raised his hand in helplessness.

"It ain't my fault!"

"Of course it is! To a hunter, a village or city is more than just a place to change monsters and materials into money. Where people gather, so does information. You can buy, combine and prepare all kinds of things and useful tools for hunting. You can upgrade weapons and armor. It isn't an overstatement to say that for a hunter, by the time he meets the monster, half the hunt is already done!"

Kio laughed nervously. To him, Cocotte village had mostly been just a place to sleep. Besides a few villagers, friends and certain merchants, he practically knew no one. Even during the time Cultise had banned him from hunting he had mostly either practiced his swordsmanship or taken naps.

"Well, it's about time you learned who's who and what's what. Gran-Gran is the only person who was able to master the wyvernian's style of making weapons and armor. For decades it was considered to be impossible to learn by anyone besides the wyvernians."

"Wow!"

"Wow? You have no idea how amazing this is. She is retired now, but she still is one of the most famous blacksmiths in the world."

"I see."

Kio wondered what the wyvernian's technology was and what kind of person Gran-Gran might be. He imagined her as a giant, six feet tall, ripped with muscles and swinging a hammer around.

_I wonder why I haven't seen her before. It's true that I'm not the social type, but still it would be hard to miss a person like that._

* * *

><p>Cocotte village was surrounded by the Imaz river on three sides, north, east and south. It was located right at the mouth where the seawater and freshwater mixed, making it the ideal place for boats going to sea and coming upriver to stop by.<p>

The pier Kio and Cultise used was located on the north, opposite from the sea and heavy traffic. It was old and small, but Kio didn't mind. A small road led from the pier to the back entrance of the village, then to the village square where the chief's 'legendary' sword was displayed. From there, besides the main road leading to the southern dock, many other roads spread out in all directions.

Since it was the end of the day, Kio saw few people as they walked through the square. He ran and followed Cultise, who was headed toward one of the small avenues leading to the western end of the village. It was the oldest part of town, a place Kio had gone only a few times and only when it was absolutely necessary.

Buildings older than Kio lined both sides of the street. The houses were made of wood so ancient that he wondered how they could continue to stand. Whenever a strong wind blew, the houses creaked and groaned, releasing sounds that sent shivers down his spine. The street was eerie at best, and down right spooky at night. Kio picked up the pace, telling himself that he was hurrying because he wanted to catch up to Cultise, not because he was scared.

At the end of the street Cultise was waiting impatiently in front a two-story house, the only one in the avenue made of stone. The building was bare without any kind of decorations. He wondered what kind of black smith would live in a place like this.

As soon as Kio arrived, Cultise entered the building, with Kio close behind. Kio's first impression was that of surprise. The air inside was warm and friendly, and he felt a sense of rightness fill his heart.

The first floor seemed to be an armory, and weapons and armor of all sizes and colors filled the room. In the back of the room an old woman sat behind a counter. Kio was again surprised that he recognized the woman, who in fact was Ms. Maki. Before his apprenticeship with Cultise began, he had met her every morning while she walked through the village on her morning walk.

Kio raised his voice and shouted his greeting. "Ms. Maki! Good afternoon! How are you today?"

Looking up, Ms. Maki beamed and raised her small, frail body and gingerly stepped down from the stool. She was tiny and ancient, so old that Kio could not guess how old she was. Above a sharp eagle nose, two beautiful big eyes peered under her brow. Her bleach white hair was kept in a neat bun, and she was wearing a shawl. "Good afternoon, Kio. I'm doing fine, thank you."

Cultise looked surprised, but apparently he decided not to say anything as he watched.

"I didn't know you worked here as a clerk, Ms. Maki."

Suddenly Cultise started to snicker, than unable to contain himself, burst out into laughter. Kio turned and glared at him, which only brought more laughter from the older hunter.

Suspicious, Kio thought he caught a flicker, a brief twinkle, in Ms. Maki's eyes but she just smiled. With her ever present smile she answered, "Yes, I've worked here for some time now. Long before you and your father came to this village."

Kio's face darkened, but he tried not to let his upset show.

"By the way, have you come to buy anything?"

"Naw, not this time. We've come to meet the legendary black smith 'Gran-Gran'. Do you know where she would be?"

"Oh, I know her very well. In that case, you should go upstairs. Her work shop is on the second floor.'

"Thanks." As soon as Kio said his good-byes, Cultise spoke up. "Come on. The stairs are over there." He pointed to some stairs Kio had missed when they entered the house.

They started climbing the spiral, with Cultise still holding the bag ores. "By the way, this is where I bought that Bone Kris of yours."

"Is that so?"

They quickly arrived at the top of the stairs, and Cultise opened a door without knocking. To their left was a giant fireplace with small flames burning inside, and a huge anvil was placed in the middle of the room. A hammer, tongs, and other tools and weird contraptions were hung on the wall beside a big window.

But no one was in the room. He wondered if Gran-Gran wasn't home. He was a bit disappointed and relieved. From the size of tools and everything in the room, this Gran-Gran must be a giant thought Kio, though he didn't want to admit to Cultise he was afraid.

Cultise lowered the bag he had been carrying and shouted toward the stairs. "Hey, Gran-Gran! Is it okay if I leave the bag here!"

"Sure! I'll come right up!" Then the same voice Kio had heard a few moments ago answered, and Ms. Maki appeared as she slowly climbed up the stairs. "Hew! It gets harder and harder to climb these stairs as the years pass." She stood and massaged her back.

"Sorry to badger you. These are the Machalite and iron ores you asked me to bring. I'm pretty sure it's enough."

"Thank you. This isn't much, but please take it."

"No, it's okay. You're work is more than worth it."

"I insist. Here." Ms. Maki handed a bag of coins to Cultise. It was then that Kio realized she was wearing a Rathalos-scaled fire resistant mitt on her left hand, and a thick apron over her body.

"Huh?" _Cultise just called her Gran-Gran._ And right in front of him was Ms. Maki, definitely old enough to be a grandmother. The only contradiction was that she didn't look like a giant sized woman who had mastered the wyvernian's arts.

It finally hit him that Ms. Maki was the 'Gran-Gran' Cultise had been talking about. He saw Cultise out of the corner of his eye having a hard time biting his tongue.

"Let me guess, you expected some kind of super woman, didn't you?"

"Shut up!"

_So she is the person who is so famous._ It was still hard to believe that the woman he had known for some time was actually someone so amazing. She was one of the last people Kio would have expected.

Ms. Maki was smiling too. "Sorry to disappoint you." She said.

"N-never mind." Then Kio muttered curses at Cultise under his breath. Cultise, still snickering asked, "Anyway, can you forge this kid a new weapon?"

Kio's ears perked up and suddenly he was all ears.

There were two ways for a hunter to get new weapons. One way was to buy something pre-made at the shop. It was an easy way to get weapons for as long as you had the money, you could get it without much effort. The drawbacks were that most of the weapons were the most basic and common things, and their power and quality were nothing compared to the second way.

So the second way was usually the best, for the blacksmiths would take different measurements, then use monster materials to upgrade the weapon to personally fit that person.

The reason Kio was getting so excited was because his Bone Kris could be upgraded to something called Twin Daggers, a type of dual swords. _If he's going to lift the ban on dual swords, why doesn't he just give me back my Gradios Ultimus? Well, it's still a big improvement._

Cultise continued. "So would you upgrade his Bone Kris into Assassin's Dagger? If I remember correctly, Iron ores were needed to upgrade it to Chief Kris, than more Iron ores, Earth crystals and Machalite ores to upgrade it to Assassin's Dagger."

"That's right. Now why would a gunner like you know so much about this?"

But Kio wasn't listening. The instant he heard Assassin's dagger he started poking Cultise in the side.

"Cut it out!" Cried Cultise. "What's the matter?"

_He knows for sure, and yet he still feigns ignorance._

"Dual Swords!"

"Denied."

"Argghh!" He hadn't expected Cultise to change his mind, but still it was worth a try.

"Don't glare at me like that. I have my reasons."

"What reason?"

"That's a secret."

"Damn you!"

Cultise laughed. "You can say all you like, but I'm not going to give away my secrets so easily."

Kio thought of a dozen different gross things he could do to Cultise, but he knew no matter what he did, Cultise wouldn't change his mind. He gave up and grumbling, unbuckled his weapon and tossed it in the general direction of Ms. Maki.

"Hey! Where's your manners!"

Kio felt pain explode when Cultise gave him a solid thwack across the back of his head. _It's been a while since I've felt that._

"Ow! What are you going to do if I stop growing? Good grief!" Kio walked over and picked up his weapon, then handed it to Ms. Maki.

"I'm sorry. Please forgive me."

"I don't mind. It's always fun to have lively guests like you."

She took the sword and drew it with a swift motion, then looked over the length of the blade with a professional eye. Even though the Bone Kris was a substitute, Kio still felt mixed emotions as he watched her. In a way it felt like something was violated.

After checking the blade several times over, she put it down and walked over to Kio with a measure. The next half-hour she measured the lengths of Kio's hand, arm, elbow and other parts of the body while continually bombarding him with questions and orders. 'What is your handedness?' 'What is your style?' 'Who taught you?' 'Do the forms for me.' 'What do you do in a situation like this?'

Kio never got bored and continually had to focus because Ms. Maki and Cultise would sometimes mischievously mix in questions like, 'What is your favorite type of girl?' 'Who do you think is the cutest in this village?' 'Have you ever dated before?' and if he wasn't careful he would expose his secrets.

When the 'torture' was finally over, Kio was exhausted. Pledging revenge to Cultise, he sat down and watched Ms. Maki practice her craft. She began by peeling the leather off the hilt and separating the blade and hilt. Then she placed it on the anvil, turned to the furnace and after adding wood and coal, used the bellows to get the fire going. Soon the fire was roaring, and Kio felt the temperature rise rapidly in the room.

Ms. Maki walked back and began pulling off the necessary tools and placed them on a rack by the anvil. Picking up one of the largest pair of tongs Kio had ever seen, she clamped the blade and thrust it into the raging inferno. She left the sword in the fire and added the ore into the furnace, then went back to pumping the bellows. Every movement she made was elegant yet powerful, and it reminded Kio of when Cultise was hunting. Even an amateur like Kio could tell the weight of her experience and skill. He had no doubt, she was a master.

Up and down, up and down. Ms. Maki continued the simple rhythm for a few minutes, then suddenly opened her eyes wide, rushed over and using the tongs pulled out the sword.

The sword was a cherry red, and the shape was barely recognizable. Not only the color, but the very sword itself seemed different. It was as if an egg was hatching, he felt the premonition of a new shape emerging from the old. Kio's heart raced as he watched Ms. Maki use the tongs and quickly pulled out the all of the ores, laying them in a line next to the sword.

With her open hand she gripped a hammer and after placing an ore on the blade, started hammering with precise, focused motions. She continued with the rest of the ores, and soon they became one with the sword. After a while there was no resemblance to the Bone Kris he had used. At first he watched with fascination, but he began to get worried. The surface was rough, and the blade lost all shape as a sword, turning it into what seemed to be just an iron rod. Kio couldn't help wondering if it would really become a sword again.

The metal which had been red hot soon become dark, returning to the black of its original color. Ms. Maki used the tongs again and stuck it into the fire.

"You two can keep watching if you want to, but it's going to take some time."

"How long?" Asked Kio.

"All night, possibly until noon tomorrow." Ms. Maki answered without taking her eyes off what she was doing. Suddenly Kio felt a rabid interest in smith-work. Even if he had to stay all night, he wanted to watch the process of his weapon's transformation. Just as he was going to agree, Cultise said,

"Well, we're only going to get in the way. We'll come back and pick it up in the morning."

"OK."

Cultise turned and grabbed Kio by the ear.

"Ow! Let me watch!"

"You're more of a hindrance than five people put together."

"I wanna watch!"

Kio was rewarded another punch for his stubbornness as Cultise dragged him to the door.

* * *

><p>The next morning Kio woke up earlier than Cultise. Normally Cultise had to kick him out of bed, but today Kio awoke at the crack of dawn and had pestered Cultise into going to Gran-Gran's, though not until it was a half way through the morning.<p>

Kio felt like he would burst with excitement as he ran down the old avenue. He wondered why he had been so afraid the day before. There was nothing scary about the houses.

"I hope it's done by now."

"You worry too much, kiddo." Cultise yawned.

And just as he had said, there was no reason to worry. When they arrived at the workroom, Ms. Maki was just finishing up as she plunged the sword into the water. The water evaporated as the metal was cooled.

She looked up and smiled at the sound of their footsteps. Kio noticed her face was heavy with fatigue.

"Good morning, you two."

She drew the sword out of the water, then started to reconstruct it piece by piece. Finally, after rewrapping the leather on the hilt she held it out for Kio to see.

"Here you are."

"Thanks,"

Kio slowly reached for the weapon. Though it had been cooled, it was still slightly warm and he felt the warmth radiate from the surface.

The sword had gone through a dramatic change in both size and shape. The biggest difference was the shape of the blade. While the Bone Kris had been a straighter sword, the tip (end?) of the Assassin's Dagger was bent to a near ninety degrees toward the opponent. Kio guessed that it was meant to be used as more slashing than the hacking he had been doing. It would take some time to get used to.

"Look, stop staring at your weapon and properly thank her." Said Cultise as he stifled another yawn.

"Huh? Oh, yeah. Thanks a lot Ms. Maki. I'll take good care of it."

"You're welcome. Come back whenever you feel like it. It gets lonely some times and I like the company."

"Sure."

Still looking at his weapon, Kio spoke to Cultise. "So is this why you've been gathering ores recently?"

"Well, it wasn't just for you. Gran-Gran had asked me to bring her some beforehand."

It wasn't uncommon for a hunter to be asked to do personal errands by civilians. Most villagers couldn't go to the wild, and it wasn't difficult for a hunter to do something extra besides the main mission.

"A true hunter is not someone who is strong or someone who has killed many monsters, but someone who can be trusted and relied upon. Remember that."

"Yeah."

"OK. Starting from tomorrow we'll pick up the pace of your training. We'll be hunting large monsters more and more often so brace yourself.'

"Hah! No problem!"

"Oh, we'll see about that. But we also need to do something about your armor too, though. I can't believe you've survived so long in the crap you're wearing. You sure didn't have eyes except for banging swords."

"So what! What's wrong with that?"

"It's stupid, that's what! You're going to get yourself killed." Cultise retorted.

But today, Kio was feeling too good to care.

* * *

><p>Thank you for reading, + please review!<p>

I'm sorry for the delay. I wanted to get the next chapter out sooner, but I had some trouble in school that kept me really busy for the past month.

I'm sure that many people already know, but I am not a very social person. I almost never talk to a person unless I'm talked to. But I do read all the reviews and private messages sent to me, and it encourages me very much. From now on I will try to make more of an effort to interact with people, so please feel free to send me a message. I'd love to talk about Japan, Monster hunter, video games, movies, basketball, anything. (Derrick Rose and Chris Bosh gets injured! And the Thunder is clobbering the Lakers! What in the world is going on? Got… to… watch… basketball…)

(I may be a little late in answering because of the time difference in Japan. A fourteen hour difference plus studying during the day and writing during the night makes it a bit hard to write an immediate reply.)


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

_Disclaimer: Monster Hunter is copyright Capcom. "The Legacy of a Hunter" is copyright Keiichi Hikami._

Kio ran through the jungle.

Covered with leaf mold and muck, the ground was rugged and uneven, with tree roots, rotting trunks, small bushes and shrubs all over the place. He continually needed to pay attention to where ever he was stepping, but if he focused his attention below, he would get pummeled in the face by low hanging vines and branches. With all these natural snares, running would be normally impossible.

But Kio could still run. It wasn't that he had memorized every crook and hole in the land. He just seemed to know where to step. No matter how thick the mold was, he could now tell when something was concealed beneath. And as long as he avoided those places, he could run without hindrance.

All of which was possible only because of the mushroom picking. The weeks spent digging through dead leaves and picking mushrooms had taught Kio to run freely.

_I bet this is what Cultise was aiming for. I hate to admit it, but he is right. Just being strong isn't enough to be a hunter._

It wasn't fun to realize that he was being controlled like a puppet by Cultise, but for now he was happy for his newfound freedom.

He was currently stalking a Kelbi through the jungle. Kelbis were small herbivores with horns, much smaller than Aptonoths, but they were also much nimbler, which made catching one pretty hard.

Kio neared the bounding Kelbi and struck with his Assassin's Dagger, but the stag changed pace suddenly and his blow missed. The balance of his new weapon was slightly different than before and he hadn't mastered it yet.

The Kelbi seemed to snort in amusement and it continued its unique canter. It seemed like a simple rhythm, but in fact it was quite complex, for the Kelbi would stop abruptly, only to dart off again in another direction.

Counting the rhythm, Kio closed the distance once more. He judged perfectly where the Kelbi would stop and felled the monster with his blade. Things he never knew, he was now starting to understand. Hunting had never been more fun for Kio.

_That should be it._

The village chief had asked them to bring five Kelbi horns aside from the main mission. From what he remembered, a merchant had wanted it. Until Cultise finished preparing, it had been his job to take care of gathering the horns.

He quickly broke off the horns and shoved them into his bag. _I hope Cultise is done by now. _

He glanced at the sky above. The time limit was almost up. He was currently in the north-eastern part of the jungle, waiting for the prey to appear.

Today, they were hunting the Velodrome.

It seemed the recent explosion in the Velociprey population was caused by the appearance of multiple Velodromes in the jungle. Normally after taking out the pack leader the rest of the pack would calm down, but as soon as Kio and Cultise had come back from the last mission, another Velodrome was sighted in the jungle.

A weird call rang out over the clearing, one Kio knew only to well. It must have smelt the blood, for it came straight toward Kio.

_Well, it's just about time too._

Kio didn't charge idiotically like before, but pulled out a flash bomb. "Eat this!"

He ripped out the short string hanging from the fist-sized bomb and threw it toward the monster. With a small 'poof' the bomb detonated and a flash brighter than the sun itself exploded throughout the clearing.

Kio had immediately covered his face, but the Velodrome took the full blast in its face. With its eyes burned, the Velodrome thrashed around blindly. After checking to make sure the effect took hold, Kio drew his sword and ran.

The Velodrome didn't notice Kio at all as he advanced. Gathering momentum, he slammed his weapon into the shoulder of the creature with all his strength.

Unfortunately, the angle of the blow must have been bad, for the sword only drew a little blood and glanced off the hard scales without causing much damage.

_Well, I'll just try again––Oh, shit!_

The Velodrome must have guessed where he was for it bit out randomly in his direction. Kio was caught off guard but he brought up his shield in time to deflect the blow while cursing himself for being careless.

_Damn it!_

Thinking rapidly he picked up a stone. _I've got to create a diversion._ Making sure the Velodrome still couldn't see, he tossed the rock in an arc behind the monster.

It landed with a dull thud and the Velodrome spun around at the sound, showing its unprotected back. Kio lashed out and was rewarded by a surprised squawk, as he released a flurry of blows. None proved fatal, but he was sure that he was causing some damage.

The Velodrome turned once again and bit out, but Kio had already moved from his previous position and cut deep into its extended neck. The Velodrome recoiled and reared back in pain.

_It should be recovering now._ Thought Kio as he quickly opened the distance.

The Velodrome glared at Kio, eyes glittering. Rage radiated from the creature. Both the flash bomb and the ambush had drained all patience away.

Just as the Velodrome prepared to attack, Kio did the least expected thing ever. He sheathed his sword and turned tail and ran, leaving the dumbfounded monster. The Velodrome immediately regained its senses and gave chase.

_Man, he's fast!_ Kio was sure that he could run pretty fast, but still the Velodrome was faster, each step bringing it closer.

Kio found himself at the edge of the clearing, where a path led down to the northern shore. That was the rendezvous point where Cultise was supposed to be waiting.

"Come and get me if you can, ugly!" Kio was sure the Velodrome didn't understand, but the taunt seemed to work, for he heard an enraged screech behind him as he ran down the slope.

The Velodrome was blind with rage as it recklessly charged after Kio. Using his nimbleness to full effect, Kio ducked and weaved as he ran to keep from providing a clear target.

He started to see the end of the path, where a dense net of trees and undergrowth blocked the way to the beach. He guessed it would be a great ambush point and would provide good cover for a gunner, except that it would be hard to fire with all the leaves and branches in the way. Just as he expected, a shock trap was placed right before the trees.

When the Velodrome got caught in the trap, it must have realized its mistake, for it tried to wriggle and escape, but the paralysis venom prevented all efforts to move even a muscle.

"Great work, Kio!" Cultise already had his heavy bowgun cocked and ready as he jumped out of his hiding place. Immediately Kio moved away from the firing line and watched Cultise pull the trigger.

An explosion erupted in the Velodrome's face and its body staggered back from the force. Cultise continued firing the second and third rounds with pinpoint precision, each shot detonating in the same place. It was impressive concentration and skill.

_So this is a professional gunner._

That's the end of the mission thought Kio. He felt satisfied that he had done his part without messing up. Though of course he knew it was too early to relax.

Suddenly Cultise stopped firing and folded his weapon. When Kio turned to see what was wrong, Cultise smirked and signaled toward the Velodrome, as if saying he would give the credit of the kill to Kio.

Cultise's attitude was annoying, but it _was_ his first large monster and of course he'd be happy. Kio drew his weapon and ran forward.

"The head! Aim for the wound!" Shouted Cultise.

"I know already!" Rebellious to the very end, Kio slammed his sword down with all his strength. He felt something give under his weapon and the Velodrome crumbled to the ground.

The blue-scaled reptilian lay on the ground with only a whisper of life left in it. He had been dreaming everyday for this moment. And yet when it was actually came, he realized he didn't feel as happy as he had expected.

The greatest feeling in him was that of relief. He felt the stress and tension drain from his limbs as he watched the dying monster. It wasn't that he had hated the Velodrome to begin with, and he was surprised that he even felt pity for the monster.

"Congratulations, Kio. Now, finish it off. It would be more merciful to end its agony now, then to let it suffer while you just stare at it."

"Huh? Oh, yeah." Kio slowly raised his sword again and with a completely different weight than the earlier blow, brought it down. It was the first time he had felt that way of monsters.

"You did good. If you can do that much, you've passed. How does it feel, your first large monster?"

"Uh, well, I don't have much to say. Of course I'm happy, but I feel a little sad too."

When Kio said that, for some reason Cultise punched him in the shoulder.

"Hey! What was that for! I didn't do anything wrong!"

He saw that Cultise wasn't angry but simply grinning. "It's okay to rejoice. This is the reward of our jobs. Our lives are based on the sacrifices of others. That's why we hunt. To provide food, clothing, materials, support, and protection for others. A hunter who doesn't care for others is garbage. But we can't survive if we start feeling sorry for monsters."

"I know." Muttered Kio.

"No, you don't. I bet you're feeling sorry inside, as if you did something wrong. You've just got to realize that the bones, scales and hide of this Velodrome will keep someone alive in the future. If you really feel bad, then make sure not to waste anything. It's okay to feel happy. Be thankful for its life and rejoice!"

Saying so Cultise shouted, "We did it!" towards the water.

"You try."

Kio nodded, and then shouted as well .

* * *

><p>When they arrived at the docks, Kio noticed something was wrong.<p>

No one was to be seen anywhere. Not even the village chief, who would come and take care of the mission's cargo and paperwork, was there. Normally there would be sailors, merchants, fishers, pilgrims and villagers. He wondered where everybody was.

"Don't just stand there. Take the materials and cargo to the bar."

"The bar? What about the chief? Don't we have to wait for him?"

"Not today, we don't."

He's plotting something funny again, thought Kio. At first he had been wary of Cultise's surprises, but now he had actually come to like them. He couldn't help smiling in anticipation.

"What's so funny?" asked Cultise.

Kio just shrugged as the two of them made their way over to the bar. "By the way, why didn't we bring any Velociprey skins or scales back this time? We brought back so many last time."

"There's a limit to what we can bring back. And we already have enough anyway."

"Enough? Was there a request?"

"Uh-huh."

Kio tried to remember but couldn't as they neared the bar. "Huh?"

He'd thought no one was at the docks, and it turned out that most of the village was at the bar. He noticed the village chief, Miranda and many other villagers and even a few hunters.

"Hey, there you two are." The village chief hobbled over. "Well?"

Cultise sighed, then smiled and nodded, and all of a sudden everyone started cheering.

"Huh! Wha-?"

The village chief came and booted them into the middle of the bar. People kept cheering and congratulating him, but he didn't have the faintest idea why. It was only their second time to fight against the Velodrome.

"What'd I do?"

"You passed the test, that's what." Before he could ask what test passed, Cultise cut in, "Everyone! Don't praise him to much. The last thing I need is for him to get cocky again."

A random hunter shouted over the din. "Oh, shove it Cultise! It's not everyday that we can celebrate the birth of a new hunter. So congratulations Kio for your first large monster."

"Thanks!" Kio answered. He didn't knot the man very well, but he was happy none the less. He just stood and took everything in.

* * *

><p>The barroom was filled with partying people.<p>

Miranda was busy running around carrying food and filling and refilling mugs. Kio and Cultise were given the seats of honor in the middle of the room and different people came to congratulate them.

Kio really started to feel bad as he greeted each person. He'd been living in Cocotte ever since he was six, and yet he didn't know half the people he met. There was the head carpenter, the lady at the general store, the innkeeper, the captain of the guard and the ironsmith to name just a few.

He hadn't been the social kind when he was young, spending all his time with only a few friends, and now he regretted his decisions. Becoming a hunter had made the situation worse, for the village became only a place to sleep in between missions. And after failing the Bulldrome mission multiple times, it made it even harder to face his fellow hunters and villagers. He wished he had made more of an effort to get to know people.

"It seems I'm late for the party." Ms. Maki, or Gran-gran as she was better known, arrived carrying a package.

"Hi Gran-gran. Don't worry, there's still plenty of food left." Said Cultise.

"Why thank you."

"Is it ready?"

"It sure is." Answered Gran-gran and she winked.

"Ok, Kio. Take the pack from Gran-gran and open it."

Gran-gran held it up for Kio to take. The package was big and heavy, and he heard the sound of metal clinking inside. Suddenly the rest of the villagers quieted down and focused their attentions on Kio.

Feeling a bit nervous, Kio got up and placed the pack on his seat and carefully began untying the wrappings.

When he saw what was inside, he gaped in shock. A brand-new, full set of armor was neatly folded inside.

"Velociprey armor! Is this why we've been gathering so many scales and ores?"

"Uh-huh. I thought it was getting a bit tough in that Chain armor of yours. A hunter should wear some _real_ armor."

"I don't know what to say." Kio looked at Cultise who was grinning. Tears started to well in his eyes and he turned away pretending to cough to keep Cultise from seeing.

"Well you could say 'Thank you'." Chuckled the village chief.

To be honest, Kio had hated living in a small village. He had always wanted to go to the city and compete among the best. But now he understood why his father had loved to work in small villages. There weren't nearly as many hunters, but to be cared for and relied upon by so many people was a real blessing.

After giving up on trying not to be seen, he wiped his tears, looked at Cultise and whispered, "Thanks." so only he could hear. Cultise scratched his head and, looking embarrassed, answered "You're welcome."

"I hope you have a fun time in that armor." said the chief.

"Yeah! Just you wait. I'll make this village famous again in no time!"

"Ha, ha, ha! We'll see about that. But at least you successfully switched weapons from dual swords to a sword and shield."

"Huh!"

But the village chief and Cultise continued talking.

"Though I should say, he could polish up his swordsmanship a bit."

"Compared to you, chief, I don't know of anyone who doesn't need some 'polishing'."

"Wait! Wait just a second! What do you mean by 'changing weapons'?"

Cultise looked unusually uncomfortable as he opened his mouth.

"It's about time I told you, Kio. This may be hard for you, but listen. You will never be a dual swords user."

What the heck does that mean! Kio would have got upset normally, but he couldn't say anything under Cultise's serious gaze. Or maybe it was the fact that Cultise had been right in almost everything in the past that kept him silent.

"Do you remember when I first agreed to coach you, I spent the first week or so just talking to different people? I was asking people about you, but your hunting style in particular. The thing that stuck out the most was that even after failing a quest and getting injured, you still went back and made the same mistakes over and over again."

"Well, yeah, but–"

Cultise cut Kio off. "What happened is you fell into the first and biggest pitfall every dual sword user faces."

"Pitfall?"

"Recently you told me you've been able to 'see' better, didn't you? And though it was your first time hunting a large monster, you had fought against the smaller monsters, hadn't you? Yet when you faced the first Velodrome, you acted like a complete beginner, as if you had never met a Velociprey before."

"I guess so. But you see–"

"You were Demonizing as soon as you met a monster, right? Demonization is a dual swords user's greatest technique, and as a trade off for stamina you momentarily gain the speed and strength of a 'Demon'. It's a state of complete concentration, where you notice every detail and every weakness. Unless you can master Demonization, there is no benefit in using dual swords. On the other hand, when you're in complete concentration or Demonization, you're sort of in a 'high' state, as if doped with drugs. It gets extremely hard to make sound judgments. Unless you're a master, you lose complete control over yourself."

Cultise sighed and continued. "That's what happened to you. In your 'high' state you lost all sense of fear. Without fear, you charged right into danger. And when you lost, since you had no fear, there was no effort for improvement. As a result you blame the loss on something else and charge right back in and make the same mistake."

"Well, if I be careful from now on–"

Cultise interrupted again. "But that isn't the biggest problem. The biggest problem is your hunting style. You must be trying to copy your father. But I personally knew your father, and he was special. It wouldn't be an understatement to call him one of the greatest hunters who ever lived, he was that skilled. He saved this village and others from certain destruction more than once. If you were half as good as he was, you'd be teaching me, not the other way around. Heck, I think he could even teach a few moves to our beloved chief over here."

Kio saw the village chief sputter, than start to choke as if something was caught in his throat. He started to speak, "Hey! Wait just a minute!" Cultise completely ignored him.

"But anyway, a normal hunter cannot even come close to him. The only way we can hold our ground against monsters if we use our wits and knowledge to the fullest, like using traps and tools."

"Y-yeah. Dad was strong."

"And there's nothing wrong with that. Admit it. Be proud about it. You can even boast about him. But you've got to realize, you're not you're father. You'll never be able to copy his style."

"But…"

"Nothing ever goes exactly as planned. So now you've got a decision to make. Will you continue hunting like the way you have, or will you choose to a sure path that leads to becoming a real hunter? It's your choice. But I tell you, if you continue, I'll stop teaching you. It would be useless."

Kio didn't know what to answer. The chief spoke up after jokingly throwing Cultise a nasty glance. "In that sense, a sword and shield would be safer. It might take a while to get used to it, but I'll be willing to help you. I'm the village legend, remember? Of course it would be for a price though…"

Kio laughed but quickly sobered and looked down at the Velociprey armor Cultise had given him. He realized the chief could have given up on him a long time ago, and yet he hadn't.

And the village needed good hunters. No matter what the chief said, ever since his parents' generation, the number of hunters had been steadily declining. Without enough hunters, the village wouldn't survive. He'd heard of villages being overrun by nature or destroyed by monsters.

He finally looked around the room at the partying villagers. Anyone of them could be killed by monsters someday. With the lives of so many people at stake, he couldn't just say no like before.

"Ok. I'll try my best."

He decided that he would continue using the sword and shield for a little while longer.

* * *

><p>Thank you for reading! + Please review!<p> 


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